


smitten arthur ficlet

by alohacowboy



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Maturity, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Smitten Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:36:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28615209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alohacowboy/pseuds/alohacowboy
Summary: merlin armouring smitten!arthur
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 36
Kudos: 155





	smitten arthur ficlet

**Author's Note:**

> *ignores 5x13 ending* set sometime post-Camlann, a time of Golden Age and Emotional Maturity

Merlin's hands are well-shaped and elegant, and are currently the bane of Arthur's existence. Arthur stands still as Merlin works around him, hooking the cuirass to the back piece and smoothing those strong hands across Arthur's torso, tugging to make sure that the fastenings are secure and making Arthur's breath catch with each pass of Merlin's hands.

He won’t meet Merlin's gaze, afraid that he’ll betray these strange feelings that he has been having and he exhales shakily when the man abruptly kneels before him to test the fastenings of Arthur's poleyns to leg greaves. He stares down at the top of Merlin's head and is struck by the sudden desire to touch his head in a show of benediction, of affection, of faith.

If it wasn’t so stupid, Arthur would imagine that he might be touching _aurelous_ in doing so: he's always known that there has been an angel watching over him.

Arthur feels a warm prickling across his skin. The feeling only intensifies when Merlin rises to his feet with silken grace, eyes clear and bright, a pink flush across the tops of his pale cheeks. Arthur looks away, skittish, until Merlin's hands come up to bracket his face.

It’s _intimate_ , is what it is, Arthur thinks crazily as he stares into Merlin's dark blue eyes. But Merlin's face is serene, is calm, as he looks at Arthur, _into_ Arthur. And when Merlin smiles it is like the sun rising which Arthur thinks is an absurd simile because it’s just a tiny little quirk, the smallest of curves to Merlin's lips. Yet it means the world to Arthur and today that smile is both soft and challenging, for _today_ is the day of the first tournament of a United Albion.

‘You have brought me to this moment,’ Arthur says finally, voice gruff with emotion.

Merlin gives an imperious tilt of his head and everything about him is suddenly _so dear_ that Arthur forgets to breathe.

‘Does that make me your hero, _my lord_?’ Merlin murmurs, lowering his eyes mock-demurely. Arthur knows it’s meant as a playful gesture, hearkening back to so many moments in the past when they were at each others throats and Merlin would pull out that royal title, fling it at Arthur's feet scornfully. But looking at the gentle fan of Merlin's sooty-black lashes and the way Merlin still- _still_!- has his big hands framing Arthur face, Arthur has to remind himself that it would be a very bad idea to give into temptation.

It doesn’t stop him from wanting, though, the ache bone-deep.

‘It makes you my dearest friend,’ Arthur confesses and his voice shakes when he gets that out, the naked honesty for all to hear.

Merlin's eyes widen, and from this close Arthur sees just how stunning it is to stare into all of that sudden and brilliant flare of gold-blue.

Arthur doesn’t know what to do with his arms encased as they are in the heavy metalpieces of his armor- a sudden reminder that he has a tournament to win- but he wants to put them around Merlin's body and hug him. In a _totally manful way_ , of course.

Merlin's hands fall away from his face but Arthur is not left feeling bereft because Merlin is picking up his hand instead, and Arthur stares down at where they’re basically holding hands. In a _totally manful way_ , of course, because Arthur suddenly notices that his own fingernails are dirty, and the backs of Merlin's hands are stained with some kind of red-brown dust- so basically it’s all very masculine, this moment that they are having.

Merlin had leant back a little when he’d let go of Arthur's face but now he leans in again with a conspiratorial look on his face. ‘I hadn’t wanted to tell you this as I know exactly how insufferable you can be but-,' and here Merlin pauses and assumes a look of great pomp on his face, '- sometimes, _very occasionally_ , and _quite by accident_ , I have found myself thinking that you are my beloved king, and that you have my heart as you surely do have the hearts of the people of the kingdom.’

Arthur stares at him and tries not to be blown away by the fact that Merlin just confessed his love to him.

‘Don’t let it go to your head- it was all quite by accident. In fact, I feel that you have bludgeoned me into feeling this way for you- all those knocks on the training field, they must’ve addled my head,’ Merlin enunciates with a straight face, but his blue eyes are so-clear and shining and Arthur feels faint because he has to go win a tournament and definitely not get himself killed in the process. Because if Merlin is saying what Arthur thinks he’s saying then Arthur needs to be alive after the tournament so he can come back to Merlin, and, and- yea, Arthur needs to stop that train of thought right now.

Merlin fucks it all up, though, fucks with all of Arthur's saintly restraint when he strokes his thumb across the inside of Arthur's wrist and Arthur's mouth drops open because that was good touch right there, whisper-soft and teasing.

Arthur closes his mouth and then licks across his dry lips. Merlin turns away from him and crosses to the clothesframe that holds Arthur's ceremonial robes. Arthur picks up his sword and straps it to his thigh. And when Merlin reaches over to swing Arthur's robes around him, Arthur catches him about the waist and kisses that proud mouth because he wants to and there is nothing Very Bad about it because it feels too good.

Merlin leans back from the all-too-brief contact to smile at Arthur, ‘Consider that my token for the joust. Although, I am no lady maiden, Arthur: I am as you are.’

‘You are all that I’ve ever wanted and never knew until this moment,’ Arthur mumbles shyly.

Merlin's eyes close and open, the look so wondering on his face that Arthur has to turn away or be overcome.


End file.
